New York area again blanketed with snow; storm moves out

Matt Kozar reports from Westchester County

February 14, 2014 9:25:08 AM PST

Eyewitness News

NEW YORK --

A powerful nor'easter slammed into the New York area overnight Thursday and into Friday, dumping more than a foot of snow in some spots before finally winding down after two spurts that spanned more than 28 hours.

Winter storm warnings were in effect throughout the area, including New York City, Long Island, New Jersey, Connecticut and Westchester, Putnam, Orange and Rockland counties. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for the mid-Hudson, New York City and Long Island regions, as did Governor Chris Christie in New Jersey and Govenor Dan Malloy in Connecticut.

Snow that began just after midnight Thursday fell at the rate of 2 and 3 inches per hour at times before transitioning to rain, sleet and freezing rain across the Tri-State area, then there were thunderstorms before a brief transition back to snow.

The wintry mix left heavy slush, making for dangerous conditions on the roads and sidewalks.

The highest snowfall totals were in Orange County, New York, where 20.5 inches fell in Harriman. New Windors recorded 19.4 inches, while Tuxedo Park saw 17, Middletown 16.4 and Port Jervis 14.5

New Jersey also saw impressive totals, with 16.7 inches in Roselle, 16.3 in West Milford, 15.5 in Oakland and West Orange and 15 in Kearny and Cedar Grove. Ridgewood, Roseland, Harrison and Roselle Park all saw more than 14 inches.

In New York City, 12.5 inches were reported in Central Park and 11.8 in Bayside, Queens. On Long Island, Bayville recorded 14.6 inches while East Setauket, North Babylon and Deer Park all saw more than 12 inches.

In Rockland County, 17.2 inches fell in Stoney Point and 14.6 in Airmont, while Westchester reported 15.8 inches in Peekskill and 14.5 in Mount Kisco. Connecticut saw 15.6 inches in Danbury and 15.3 in New Canaan.

NEW YORK CITY

New York City public schools are open again in New York City Friday, despite the fact that a hazardous travel advisory remains in effect. Student after-school programs, field trips and PSAL games are on as scheduled. The decision can't come as a surprise, one day after Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina came under intense criticism for keeping schools open on a day when fewer than 50 percent of students showed up. Farina drew particular ire by stating that it was a beautiful day.

Families with busing questions should contact the Office of Pupil Transportation at 718-392-8855. As always, parents should exercise their own judgment with regard to their children.

Drivers and pedestrians throughout the city are asked to be extra careful as they make their way on the roads and sidewalks. There's a lot of slush, and some puddles that may look small may be deeper than expected.

Alternate Side Parking Regulations are suspended citywide on Friday and Saturday to facilitate snow removal and Monday for President's Day. Parking meter rules remain in effect.

NEW JERSEY

Governor Chris Christie declared a state of emergency in New Jersey ahead of the arrival of the storm, which dumped 15 inches in Kearny by Thursday afternoon and left behind a sloppy and slushy mess on roads and sidewalks.

The storm knocked out power to nearly 10,000 homes and businesses - most of them in Monmouth County - and forced government offices and many businesses to close. It was hard to get around, but traffic was light. At the regular rush hour in downtown Newark, the streets were nearly empty of traffic save for rumbling snowplows.

Commuter trains carried small crowds, and New Jersey Transit said it would cross-honor tickets through Friday. NJ Transit bus service was temporarily suspended in Essex County and Morris County at the request of emergency officials in order to help plows clear the streets.

LONG ISLAND

People on Long Island are digging out after even more snow on top of snow on top of snow. Bayville was the hardest hit area with nearly 15 inches, and then came the rain, which caused the top layer of snow to turn to ice.

And that was before this second round of flakes started falling.

Some roads in the area remained unplowed, and drivers who did make the effort - mostly in SUVs - were maneuvering through the tire tracks ahead of them.

The snow is not only a headache and nuisance for homeowners, but it's proving to be a big problem for local governments whoe have already blown through their snow budgets.

The Long Island Rail Road is operating 90 percent of a normal weekday schedule, canceling 14 of 144 morning rush trains, and further changes to the schedule are possible. Customers should check MTA.info ahead of their travel.

CONNECTICUT

Governor Dannel Malloy declared a state of emergency as Connecticut seeks help from Washington for much-needed road salt. The governor made the emergency declaration on Thursday to help locate road salt for cities coping with the nor'easter. He said a delivery expected on Friday or Saturday should help replenish stockpiles.

Fairfield County saw some of the largest snowfall amounts, with 14 inches reported in Fairfield. Parts of northwestern Connecticut saw 11 inches of snow, while up to 10 inches was reported in the Hartford area. Schools in Bridgeport, Hartford and New Haven were among those closed Friday.

Bradley International Airport was reporting flight cancellations, while Metro-North reduced service to a Saturday schedule. Malloy ordered non-essential, first-shift state employees to report to work an hour late Friday.

More severe weather information can be found at NYC.gov/severeweather or by calling 311. New Yorkers are also encouraged to sign up for the Notify NYC, the City's free emergency notification system. Through Notify NYC, New Yorkers can sign up for receive phone calls, text messages, and emails alerts about severe weather events and emergencies. To sign up for Notify NYC, call 311, visit NYC.gov, or follow @ NotifyNYC on Twitter.